THE POWER OF FAITH VERSUS THE POWER OF UNBELIEF.
By G.
THERE is a power in unbelief, but it is a power for evil. It is a negative and not a positive power. The preventive power of unbelief is appalling, and its influence is world-wide. It is the medium through which the enemy of souls has robbed mankind, from the beginning, of the blessings which God has had in store for the race. Through unbelief Adam and Eve lost their Eden home and became subject to death, entailing upon the earth a great curse of unfruitfulness, and upon themselves onerous toil in order to procure the necessaries of life. Through unbelief Cain’s offering was not acceptable to God, and he became a murderer, involving increased curse upon the earth. Through unbelief the antediluvians became so wicked that their every thought was only evil continually, and God destroyed them all, excepting eight souls who believed His Word. Through unbelief the people of Sodom brought down upon themselves the fire of God’s wrath. Those who perished in the flood had the Gospel preached unto them by a faithful messenger, but they would not believe. Those who were destroyed by the fire and brimstone in Sodom and Gomorrah could have been spared had there been but ten who would believe the Word of the Lord. Through unbelief Esau sold his birthright for one morsel of meat; and "afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected; for he found no place of repentance [no way to change the transaction], tho he sought it carefully with tears." Through unbelief the children of Israel failed when in sight of the promised land, and were not able to enter in. The consequence was thirty-eight years of wandering in the wilderness, and the death of all who were over twenty years old when they came out of Egypt, excepting Caleb and Joshua. The lesson of their experience and their fate is made very emphatic to us in the Epistle to the Hebrews, chapter 4:1, 2: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into His rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the Gospel preached, as well as unto them; but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." We learn from this that in all the ages it is unbelief of the Gospel which separates men from the power of God. Coming down to the time of Christ’s earthly ministry, we read of His visit to Nazareth that "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief." Matt. 13:58. The record does not say that He would not do many mighty works, as tho He resented their unbelief, but that He could not thus work. If the mighty healing power of Jesus was limited by the unbelief of His fellow-townsmen, so that He could not do for them as He would, are not the saving power of the Gospel and the healing power of the Holy Spirit as surely hindered by unbelief to-day? We often hear afflicted people complain that the ministers of to-day can not heal diseases as in former times. Such complaints are, in part, at least, the result of misconception. While there is no doubt that there is a great lack of faith on the part of the ministry, many of them holding that "the days of miracles are past," yet even such a minister as Christ Himself could not do such miracles without faith on the part of those who sought the benefit, either for themselves or for others not physically or mentally capable of exercising faith. A certain father besought Jesus to heal his son, who was possessed of an evil spirit that would cast him into the fire and into the water. The father said, "If Thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us." And Jesus answered, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." Then "the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief." See Mark 9:17-27. In answer to the father’s faith, the afflicted son was healed. This was a case, however, in which the disciples had been unsuccessful because of their unbelief; and in addition to this, Jesus told them that "this kind [of spirit] goeth not out but by prayer." To a leper whom Jesus healed He said, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." Luke 17:19. To a man whose sight had been restored, He said, "Thy faith hath saved thee." Chapter 18:42. The same words were said to others whom He healed. When Paul was preaching at Lystra, on a certain occasion, there was a man in the congregation who never had walked, being crippled in his feet. Paul, "steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked." Acts 14:8-10. Reverting to the power of unbelief, we cite the case of Jerusalem. Weeping over the city, Jesus said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Matt. 23:37. Many times, then, this people of special privileges prevented the outpouring of God’s choicest blessings by their unbelief. But there is such a thing as exhausting the forbearance of God. Hear the result of their often resisting; yea, preventing, His gracious designs toward them: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." But, notwithstanding the negative power of unbelief, the positive power of belief of the Gospel is far greater. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Rom. 1:16. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.